New Lima, Ohio
by CountingCrow16
Summary: SEQUEL TO THE NEW REALITY. Kurt, Santana, Blaine and Marina are finally reunited after escaping the Community. They're finally in a place where they can be themselves and experience the freedom for which they risked their lives. But freedom is rarely free, and the sooner they realize it, the better off they'll be. Klaine and Brittana. Rated M for mature content.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hey everyone! As promised, here's the first chapter in the sequel to New Reality. _**TO NEW READERS:** PLEASE READ MY STORY, "THE NEW REALITY" BEFORE YOU BEGIN. THIS STORY DOESN'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE WITHOUT THE BACK STORY._

A couple of bits of information about what to expect:

-There will probably be smut. After everything our guys and gals have been through, they deserve a bit of sexy time. So if that's not your cup of tea, just be warned.

-There will be a love interest for Santana and maybe even Marina.

-There will be more characters from the Glee universe introduced in this story, including some Warblers.

-It won't be all sunshine and rainbows. As they say, freedom isn't free, so even though they're in a much better place, the fight for freedom and safety isn't over.

Okay, that's all I can think of right now, thanks for reading and I really look forward to hearing your responses!

**I don't own Glee**

* * *

"_Welcome to New Lima," Marge said, pride filling her words. "We're all former refugees, or in the case of some of the younger ones, children of former refugees. We are a community in the sense that we work together for the common good, but you won't find any restrictions here on how you choose to live. Everyone is expected to help out in whatever way they can, but there are no roles, no punishments, no violence whatsoever. You and your friend are welcome to stay here if you'd like."_

_Kurt had no words prepared for this situation. He had no idea how to work through the plethora of emotions that were hitting him at that moment. His inability to speak and the reasons behind it must have been evident on his face, because Marge let out a chuckle and patted him gently on the back._

"_Take a look around and get back to me, okay?" she asked. "I'll be right over there when you've made your decision."_

_Kurt barely managed a nod as he started walking slowly toward the group of people in front of him. He'd barely gotten close enough to reach out and touch one of the travelling tomato vines in a small square garden when he heard a familiar voice call out his name. A voice that he hadn't heard in weeks and that he never expected to hear again. A voice that he fell in love with all over again in that instant._

"_Kurt?"_

* * *

Kurt whipped around in search of the voice that spoke his name. His vision immediately narrowed in on the figure standing about ten feet away. Waves crashed in his ears, static filled his mind and his peripheral vision became blurry as every ounce of his energy was focused on that singular figure standing stock-still in front of him.

"Blaine," he breathed, barely audible even to himself. He was almost afraid to speak it allowed. Fearful that if he said the name aloud, that the boy in front of him would vaporize into nothingness. Had he been out of civilization that long? So long that he would be hallucinating within minutes of arriving at this safe harbor?

Before he had the chance to answer his own questions in his mind, he was almost knocked over by Blaine's hug. He could feel the tremor in his grasp and he wasn't sure which one of them was shaking so much. Maybe it was both of them.

"I can't believe it," Blaine's voice sounded in Kurt's ear. "I never thought I would see you again."

Kurt couldn't speak. Not yet anyway, he could barely stay on his feet at this point, although he was certain that if his legs did give out, Blaine would have held him up with his strong grip that he showed no signs of loosening.

"That day in the cave," Blaine continued, once it was apparent Kurt wasn't going to answer. "That day, I was so afraid they'd capture you, and then Santana and I…Kurt, it was awful. She didn't want to, but it was the only way, and—"

"Shh," Kurt hushed gently, finally finding his voice. His hand seemed to move on its own volition up and down Blaine's back. "It's okay, it's all okay now, you don't have to explain it all right now."

"God, I just…I just missed you so much and…Kurt?"

Blaine was more than a little confused when Kurt tensed up suddenly and pulled away from him. His eyes were darting around nervously as he slowly backed away from Blaine.

"What's wrong?" he asked the disheveled and exhausted, yet seemingly highly alert-looking boy in front of him.

"We can't," Kurt began, panic rising in his throat. "We were just…someone could have seen us, I wasn't even thinking—"

It finally clicked in Blaine, the reason why Kurt was suddenly afraid. He approached his love slowly with a small, reassuring smile playing on his lips.

"Kurt," Blaine said, reaching out for Kurt's hand again. Kurt obliged. "It's okay, it's not like the Community here. You can be with whoever you want here. You can be yourself. We can be ourselves."

"You mean they won't, we won't be punished?"

Kurt's eyes grew wide and Blaine felt like he was having to physically keep his own heart from falling apart at the sight of it.

"No," Blaine's smile grew wider. "In fact a lot of the refugees here are just like us. That's why they escaped in the first place."

Kurt let out a huge breath and nodded wordlessly for a moment before his eyes lit up again. "Oh my God, Santana! Is she here? Blaine, please tell me she's okay."

"She's fine," Blaine answered. "She's around here somewhere. We got here almost two weeks ago. She's been….really angry, I guess. About the group being separated and losing Marina, but now that you guys are here….God, I still can't believe it."

As if on cue, the boys heard a pair of screams about a hundred yards away. They turned their attention to the source of the squeals and witnessed Santana and Marina reuniting under the watchful eyes of the other refugees. Santana rushed towards Marina and as they embraced they sank to the ground, overwhelmed with emotion. Kurt started to head in that direction, but he felt a soft tug on his wrist.

"Let's give them a little time," Blaine suggested. "Besides, there's something I want to show you."

* * *

Santana couldn't believe her eyes. Her little sister, her life, her everything, was finally back in her grasp. They were on the ground, dust kicked up and gritty sand gathering in the creases of their elbows and behind their knees, but she didn't care. She never really let herself believe that Marina was gone for good, and now she's glad that she hadn't tortured herself with the mourning process. She silently sent up a thank you to Kurt for keeping her baby sister safe.

"Is Kurt with you, is he okay?" she had the presence to ask after a few silent moments.

"Y-yes," Marina gulped in-between tears. "He w-was amazing, San. He saved us."

Santana hummed softly, trying to calm her sister, and herself to a certain extent.

"I know," she answered softly. "You're safe here now. We're all safe now. This is where we're meant to be."

Santana meant every word she said. The moment she and Blaine arrived here, the moment they'd stepped foot inside of New Lima, she felt at home. The air was more inviting, more welcoming than anything else she'd ever experienced inside the Community. Of course, there had been a tense moment with the group that had been patrolling the area outside the wall, guns drawn on each side. But once everyone had figured out everyone else's intentions, they were welcomed immediately into the camp. As much relief as Santana felt, finally being in a safe place away from the wretched confines of the Community, she refused to allow herself to feel settled and happy. She was still missing a huge piece of herself, because Marina and Kurt weren't with them.

She knew Blaine felt the same. All it took was one look at his battered, defeated face to see that he was experiencing the same emotional devastation that she was. They refused to leave each other's side for more than a few seconds in those early days, the irony of their relationship not lost on either. As the days went by and they became more acclimated to their surroundings, they ventured out a little bit more on their own within the camp, but never for longer than an hour. It was too painful to be away from each other for longer than that, after they'd lost so much.

But everything was different now. They were reunited, the whole group. Santana could hardly believe that the plan had worked. It wasn't as easy as her naïve, overconfidence had led her to believe when they were hashing it out several months ago at her and Blaine's kitchen table. But in the end, it worked out. They were together again and they could live happily and with the freedom she felt they'd earned.

Of course, she was reluctant to believe it was going to be that easy. Surely, after everything they'd been through, she couldn't expect the path to be easy from here on out. But for that exact moment in time, when she was hugging her sister and hearing her laugh again for the first time in God knew how long, she allowed herself to bask in the soft, warm belief in a happily ever after.

OOO

"Where are you taking me?" Kurt asked curiously.

"Just wait, you'll see," Blaine answered. His voice had an excited, almost giddy lilt to it as he led Kurt by the hand across the yard. Kurt could see up ahead that there was a group of rudimentary looking buildings, some constructed out of logs, some out of a rudimentary-looking brick material. Most of them had thatched roofs, but some of them had wooden covers. There were also several of tents off to the side. When they got closer, Blaine veered them in the direction of the tents, finally stopping in front of a canvas tent of moderate size.

"Well," Blaine spoke, a hint of pride in his voice. "This is it."

"This is…what is this?" Kurt couldn't figure out why Blaine was so excited.

"This is home," he answered. "At least for now. As soon as I get strong enough, some of the others are going to help me build a permanent home. Well, it's supposed to be for Santana and me, but now that you and Marina are back, I think I want my own place. You know, for you and me."

Kurt watched as a deep red blush invaded Blaine's cheeks.

"I mean, that is, if you um….I mean, if you want a separate place, that's—"

Blaine was abruptly cut off by the presence of Kurt's lips pressing firmly on his own. He let out a small whimper of protest before he realized this was exactly what he wanted, what he'd been missing all these weeks. He allowed his embarrassment to wash away as he sank deeper into Kurt's embrace. After several blissful moments, Kurt pulled away and looked at Blaine with an indiscernible smirk.

"Aren't you going to show me your tent?"

* * *

So what do you think so far? Thanks again for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Wow, great response so far, thanks everyone!

Some warnings for this chapter: slight Klaine sexytimes (slight) and some fairly heavy violence (the violent part is in italics if you want to skip over it).

Thanks for reading.

**I don't own Glee**

* * *

Chapter 2

"Kurt," Blaine moaned as he came up for air from what was probably the most intense make-out session he and Kurt had ever engaged in. Blaine had, in fact, decided to show Kurt the temporary home he and Santana had been living in since they'd arrived in New Lima. The two boys hadn't wasted any time reacquainting themselves with each other, despite how exhausted Kurt was from his extended time in the wilderness.

Back in the Community, Blaine and Kurt had never risked having sex. They'd spent a lot of time exploring each other, exploring the new, wonderful feelings they didn't think they'd ever be able to experience, but taking that final step always seemed a bit too risky, especially with Blaine's status as an Official-in-training. Santana had always given them plenty of space and time, and it was something that both of them would be eternally grateful for. But now, in New Lima where there were no limitations on who could love whom, a whole new world was opening up to them.

Kurt found his hands rubbing Blaine's back, high and low, side to side, pulling him close and pushing him back, trying hard to give them both the friction that they craved. Both were still fully clothed, but Kurt could feel Blaine straining against him and if Blaine's quick intake of breath when Kurt pulled him close was any indication, Blaine could feel him too.

Kurt, lost in a kiss, allowed his hand to venture forward, dipping under Blaine's shirt and landing on his abdomen. Before he had a chance to process it, his hand froze and Kurt pulled back sharply.

"What?" Blaine asked him, confusion lacing his features. A few more seconds of silence gave him enough time to figure out what was going on. With Kurt's hand still on his abdomen, he lifted up his shirt around it.

Kurt couldn't stop the gasp that escaped his lips, or the way his other hand flew to his mouth. Blaine's wound had almost completely healed, but the damage was evident. It looked like someone had carved a half-inch deep, crescent-shaped slab of skin from Blaine's stomach. Kurt's eyes began to water.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, unable to look Blaine in the eye.

"For what?" Blaine asked, covering Kurt's hand on his stomach with his own. "Saving my life? I don't remember much from those first few weeks on the run, but Santana filled in the details. She said you were amazing, you never left my side and you did what it took to keep me alive. How can you apologize for anything?"

"You never would have been hurt if you hadn't climbed back under the fence for me," Kurt replied, his voice shaking.

"If I hadn't gone back for you I would have died without you," Blaine answered. He hated how corny it sounded, but it was true. "When San and I got here, and you weren't here, I thought I was going to die. Today is the first day I've felt alive…maybe in my entire life."

Kurt finally brought his gaze up to Blaine's and he could see that Blaine was speaking the truth. The weight on his shoulders grew a little lighter and he allowed his hand to fall from the wound.

"Besides," Blaine grinned. "Now I have a cool story to impress all the ladies with."

Kurt rolled his eyes, but let out a little giggle nonetheless. "You are such a dork."

Blaine leaned forward until his face was inches away from Kurt's. "You love it," he said, before diving in for another kiss, anxious to resume their previous activities.

* * *

Santana shot straight up from her cot, covered in sweat. It was the middle of the night, and she'd just had the same nightmare she'd been having every night for weeks now.

_She walks up and down the row of frightened prisoners. They are on their knees, bound and gagged, looking up at her with frightened, pleading eyes. She doesn't care. She stares at each of them; men, women, children, all with the same icy, heartless glare. She's here to do a job, and she finds that she has absolutely no emotional attachment to any of these people._

_As she passes a young woman, probably in her twenties, the woman tries to speak through her gag. Santana pauses in her step. Crouching down, she removes the gag and looks at the woman expectantly._

"_Please don't kill me, Officer," the woman pleads. "I have a newborn at home, and—"_

_The woman is cut off as Santana roughly pushes the gag back in place. She has no sympathy for the woman's plight. Standing back up, she doesn't think twice about pulling out her gun and placing a bullet directly into her forehead. The woman is dead instantly. The other prisoners make garbled whimpers and begin to shift in their places._

_There's no point in wasting any more time. Santana pulls her weapon back out, and starting at the beginning of the row, she shoots each prisoner in the same place as the first, pausing only to reload halfway down the line. _

_As she reaches the end of the row, she sees someone she hadn't expected. Last in line is her little sister, Marina. She favors Santana so much, especially in the eyes, which are silently begging her sister not to go through with it. Santana feels the smallest bit of reluctance tugging at her, but it's not enough to stop her from placing the gun directly against her sister's forehead. She starts to pull the trigger, but decides at the last second that she won't do it, and she can't even remember how she got into this situation, killing all of these innocent people._

_Her decision to stop doesn't matter though, it's too late. The hair trigger responds and the gun goes off with a bang._

Santana looked around the tiny tent space frantically, searching for Marina. She finds her, sleeping soundly right next to her. Santana let out a long-held breath and drew her knees up, resting her forehead against them. Every night it was the same, and every night it felt so real. The nightmare had started the night after she and Blaine had escaped the hunters that had been sent after them, the ones she'd shot to save the two of them. Deep down she knew she'd done the right thing, or at least the only thing that would have save Blaine's life and her own.

The first few times it happened, Santana refused to tell Blaine what was going on. He would wake up right along with her when it happened. Ever since their escape, they'd both become incredibly light sleepers, in tune to any dangers that might befall them while they rested. But after a week or so, her resolve was broken and she confessed to Blaine what had been torturing her. He did his best to comfort her and to rationalize with her, but it didn't matter. No matter how at peace she was with the situation during the day, her subconscious had different feelings at night.

"What is it?" Marina mumbled sleepily beside her. She must have woken up to see Santana sitting up, panting heavily and trying to gather herself.

"It's nothing, sweetie, go back to sleep," she responded, and because they were finally in a safe place, for the first time since the escape, Marina didn't ask twice. She simply rolled over and fell back asleep. Santana was grateful for it.

Santana tried to calm her mind and body, knowing that it was the middle of the night and she would be exhausted in the morning if she didn't find a way to get some more rest. She went through all the amazing things that had happened in the last few weeks in her mind. First, she and Blaine had found New Lima, and despite how they grieved over losing Kurt and Marina, they had accomplished their goal.

They were both skeptical at first, not believing that such a place could actually exist, despite the fact that they'd risked their lives in hopes of finding it. But after a few days, they realized that New Lima was the real deal and that they'd found their new home.

After a week or so, Santana allowed herself to start making friends for the first time since the outbreak ten years prior, with the exception of Kurt of course. There were so many nice people in New Lima, and all of them seemed eager to help her and Blaine settle in. Santana was especially fond of one friend she'd met that first week. Her name was Brittany and she'd been living in New Lima for almost four years. She'd been Marina's age when her mom and dad decided to escape with her from the Dayton Community. Her mom hadn't made it all the way to safety, but she and her dad survived.

Santana had felt an instant bond with Brittany. There was something about her that felt safe, and Santana, who was normally guarded and suspicious of new people, found herself opening up to Brittany, telling her things she'd never told a soul before. After a few days, the two were almost inseparable and it wasn't long until Blaine found himself alone in the tent most nights. Brittany shared a small log house with her father, but her father was away with a group on a rescue mission, so she had the place to herself.

And then the most incredible thing happened. Santana had been with Brittany, helping to build a hut for another group that had arrived several weeks before she and Blaine did. She was holding a stake in the ground while Brittany pounded it in with measured strokes. Santana looked up, squinting in the sun and saw her sister walking through the front gate with the security group around her.

"Oh my God," she muttered, dropping the stake, Brittany almost landed the hammer right on Santana's hand, but had just enough time to pull back.

"What is it, San?" Brittany asked.

"It can't be," she spoke again softly. She rose slowly from the ground. "Marina!"

"San?" Marina yelled back, not knowing where the voice was coming from, but knowing exactly where it came from. At the confirmation that it was, in fact, her sister and not some cruel mirage, Santana started running toward her as Marina finally spotted her and broke from the security group.

Santana smiled now in the darkness of their shared tent as she thought back to that moment two days earlier. She couldn't believe they'd reunited and it was the most wonderful moment of her life. She wasted no time showing Marina around the area and made a point to introduce Brittany almost immediately. She could tell that her little sister was overwhelmed, and wasn't quite processing everything. It didn't matter though. They would have all the time in the world to help her adjust.

Santana hadn't thought twice about moving out of Brittany's home and into a tent with Marina. She wasn't ready to have that conversation with her little sister quite yet, and she knew that the tent she used to share with Blaine would no longer be available to them with the arrival of Kurt.

Her reunion with Kurt had been much more subdued, if only because they were both already so spent with having met back up with Marina and Blaine for the first time in weeks. She clung to Kurt tightly, whispering thank you's in his ear for safely delivering Marina to her. He hugged her tighter, unable to find the right words to respond with.

Santana felt her eyelids grow heavy again, as her mind was flooded with all the peaceful memories of her time in New Lima. As she slowly lowered herself back down on the cot, she hoped it would be enough to stave off the nightmares for the rest of the night. She would find a way to deal with the next night when the time came.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** No special warnings for this chapter. Thanks for reading!

**I don't own Glee.**

* * *

Chapter 3

After a week of becoming acquainted with the way things worked in New Lima, Kurt was finally starting to feel settled. The first few days, he'd slept almost continuously, only waking up to eat a quick meal or relieve himself. Nearly every time he woke from a deep slumber, Blaine would be there smiling at him from where he sat cross-legged in the tent. Sometimes, especially if it was in the middle of the day, Blaine wouldn't be there. Having recovered enough from his injury, Blaine did what he could to help out around the base. On these rare instances when Kurt woke up alone, he would simply roll back over and go to sleep, comfortable in the knowledge that he was in a safe place and hoping that he would never again wake up from a nightmare that involved being dragged from his bed and being put in front of the firing squad.

When Kurt finally arose from his marathon slumber and exited the tent for the first time with the expectation of actually staying awake past his next meal, Kurt found adjusting to his new surroundings a little more difficult than he would have thought. Loud noises frightened him, causing him to involuntarily jump or shout out. It was embarrassing, but after a while he noticed he wasn't the only one who responded this way. Some of the newer arrivals had similar reactions and while Kurt didn't want to think about what hellish environments these others may have come from, it was somewhat comforting to know that he wasn't alone in his reactions.

He found that he was constantly looking over his shoulder, and still walking softly on the balls of his feet as he had when trying to move soundlessly through the forests outside of his old Community. Old habits die hard and Kurt wondered if they would ever die at all. It gave him hope to see that Santana and Blaine already looked less jumpy on the outside than he and Marina did, giving him reason to believe that maybe he just needed a few more weeks.

Almost every day, Kurt received a visit from Maggie, the kind woman who'd held a gun to him that fateful afternoon in the forest outside of New Lima. She seemed to take a keen interest in Kurt and it didn't take him long to figure out why.

"You remind me so much of my son, Isaac," Maggie confessed to him one afternoon. "Your hair, your eyes, the way you carry yourself, your determination...I just see so much of him in you."

Maggie's son had been killed during a rescue mission two years earlier. She still carried a scratched up photograph of him in her pocket at all times. The photograph was a portrait shot when Isaac was in the fourth grade, right before the outbreak. Kurt couldn't deny the strong resemblance between the boy in the photograph and Kurt when he'd been that age. Kurt almost felt guilty for being nearly the same age and looking so much like Maggie's son, but he soon realized that it was almost like a gift to Maggie. She felt like she had a piece of her son's spirit back and Kurt was happy to offer it to her considering how she saved his life by bringing her here.

It was through Maggie that Kurt learned about the different teams within New Lima. There was a defense team, headed by Maggie. Their job was to patrol the areas around New Lima and alert to any possible danger or attacks. There was the scavenging team, whose mission was to find useful items in long-abandoned towns for use within New Lima. There was a building team, a hunting and gathering team, a gardening team and many others. Perhaps the most exciting (and most dangerous) was the rescue team, of which Isaac had been a member. They went on missions to other Communities to help liberate people. It was incredibly risky and unsafe, but the founding members of New Lima were determined that the opportunities and freedom they fought for would be extended to as many people who wanted it as possible.

"When you're feeling settled enough, you'll join whichever team you feel fits you the best," Maggie explained to him one day.

"Well which one needs me the most?" Kurt asked.

Maggie laughed softly. "Honey, there's a need in every one of them, so wherever you want to go, I'm sure the team will welcome you."

* * *

At dinner later that night, Kurt, Blaine, Santana and Marina all sat in a circle near their tents, discussing the pros and cons of the different teams.

"I kind of like the gathering team," Marina announced. She'd gone out with them for a couple of days by then, trying to get a feel for the work.

"You'd be really good at that," Santana encouraged her. "You were a pro with that field guide, right? I think I'm leaning toward the scavenging group."

The rest of the group snickered, causing Santana to shoot dirty looks at them in turn. "What's so funny?"

"Um, San, if you want to spend more time with Brittany, just say so," Marina said quietly, her face growing almost as red as her sister's. It hadn't taken long for the younger Lopez to figure out that Santana and Brittany were more than just friends. From the look on Santana's face, she thought she was being a little more discrete than she actually was.

"Changing topics," Blaine intervened with a smile, knowing that Santana was growing more embarrassed by the second. "I don't know, I've really enjoyed helping with the building team, I might stay there. What about you, Kurt?"

Kurt tore a chunk off of his bread and tore that chunk in two absentmindedly. He'd been uncharacteristically quiet that day, ever since parting ways with Maggie.

"I'm thinking of joining the rescue team," he finally announced quietly, still staring at the bread in his hands and waiting for their reactions.

The group was silent for a few moments.

"You're joking. He's joking, right?" Santana finally asked. "No me gusta, Kurt, it's way too dangerous."

"Yeah Kurt," Blaine added softly. "I don't like this idea at all. You could have died during our escape, we all could have. Why would you want to put yourself back in that situation now that we're finally safe from harm?"

Kurt's thoughts wandered back to the old, fading picture of Isaac and the way Maggie's eyes watered with pride when she spoke about him. Ever since their conversation earlier in the day, Kurt hadn't been able to stop thinking about the rescue team and what it would mean to be a part of it. He thought back to his life in the Community and how scared he'd been every single day that he would make a misstep and be killed. But the last few months had taught Kurt not to fear death. It wasn't until he'd escaped the Community that Kurt really felt that he had lived, _truly_ lived. And the thought of helping other people escape to safety and freedom was almost irresistible to him.

"Forget it," he answered with a tight smile. "It was just a thought. The building team sounds nice."

Blaine and Santana both released sighs of relief and went back to weighing the different groups, but Kurt didn't miss the look he got from Marina. Over their time together, Kurt felt a unique bond with Santana's little sister and now, even when Blaine and Santana had missed it, Kurt knew that Marina hadn't. Marina knew that Kurt's mind was already made up, and it wasn't going to be the building team.

* * *

Marina quickly settled in with the gathering team and turned out to be quite an asset to them despite her youth and relative inexperience. Santana, despite her initial embarrassment, did join the scavengers with Brittany and found it quite enjoyable. Of course she enjoyed spending time with her girlfriend (after three weeks of being nearly inseparable, they'd finally had _that _talk), but she also felt incredibly useful and amazed by the things they found on their missions. Sometimes they were gone for several nights, but they never went near any of the handful of established Communities around the area, so she felt completely safe within the group. Thankfully, several of the members of her group were armed, just in case.

Blaine went back and forth between the hunting team and the building team before finally settling in with his original choice. He was happy with the building team. He was finally gaining back his strength after months of inaction from his injury and the constant lifting and movement made him feel human again. Kurt joined him for a few days, moving almost robotically and barely speaking at all for hours at a time. Something had gotten into him that worried Blaine and he wished he could figure out what was wrong. Every time he asked, however, he simply got a grunted, "Nothing," in return. He didn't seem angry, just lost in thought.

During their lunch break on Kurt's third day with the group, Kurt sat silently next to Blaine, eating the corn and bean mixture that had been prepared by the cooking team for the group. Blaine was observing him as he ate his own lunch and started to attempt a conversation again when he saw Kurt perk up as he spotted something or someone from across the span of land contained within the borders.

"What is it?" Blaine asked, trying to crane his neck to see what Kurt was seeing.

Kurt didn't take his eyes off of whatever it was as he set his bowl down on the ground where he sat. "I'll be right back," he mumbled, scrambling to his feet and jogging off in that direction. Blaine turned around again, watching him. Within a few seconds, he finally figured it out when he saw Kurt approaching Maggie.

"I wonder what that was all about," he muttered to himself, trying to calm the feeling of unease that was quickly rising within him.

Kurt was a little out of breath when he finally reached Maggie, who was coming in with her defense team through the main entrance.

"Kurt," she greeted, a little surprised at how flustered the boy in front of her looked. "How's it going with the building team?"

"It's fine," Kurt answered quickly. "But it's not for me. I want to join the rescue team."

"Kurt," she started with a fair amount of hesitation in her voice. "Is this about-"

"No," Kurt interrupted. "I know what you're going to say and that's not it. I need to do this. For me. It's important to me."

"It's a dangerous job, the most dangerous."

He could tell by the look in her eyes that she was worried, and that she only half-believed his reasoning.

"I know," Kurt said. "But you have to understand how much I need this."

Kurt felt like he was almost begging Maggie, and in a way he was. As much as he wanted to be on the rescue team, he'd grown to respect Maggie so much that he wouldn't feel comfortable doing it without her blessing. He wasn't sure why he needed it, but it was part of the deal for him.

"Please," he added as he watched the different emotions play on Maggie's face.

"Fine," she finally gave in. "I'll introduce you to Thomas."

Kurt couldn't stop himself from throwing his arms around Maggie and wrapping her in a tight, nervous but happy hug. She chuckled lightly in his ear.

"Why do I feel like I'm making a huge mistake?" she asked him quietly as he held her close.

"You're not," he answered confidently. "I promise you're not."

She nodded wordlessly once they separated and motioned for Kurt to follow her, presumably to find the leader of the rescue group. Kurt paused for a moment, looking back to where he was sitting with Blaine just a few minutes earlier. He gave a small wave and mouthed a "sorry" before turning back to follow Maggie, feeling slightly guilty about the confused look on his boyfriend's face as he walked in the opposite direction of the building team.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **No special warnings for this chapter. Thanks for reading.

**I don't own Glee**

* * *

_When we were children we played_

_Out in the streets just tempting fate_

_When we were children we'd say_

_That we don't know the meaning of fear._

_-OneRepublic_

* * *

"Can we please just talk about this, Blaine?"

Kurt winced at how much desperation was coming through in his words. Even though he was begging Blaine, as he had been all evening since coming back to the tent after a long meeting with Thomas, the leader of the rescue group, Kurt was starting to feel annoyed at his refusal to even discuss the situation.

Blaine remained silent, focusing all of his attention on re-lacing the new shoes he'd been given by the scavenging group. He'd desperately needed a pair and was grateful when Brittany and Santana had been able to locate a pair in a long-abandoned house that fit almost perfectly.

The truth was, Blaine had figured out what was going on the minute he saw Kurt approach Maggie that afternoon. He tried to reason with himself; he tried convincing himself that there was no way that Kurt would betray him like that and join the rescue group. And that was exactly what it felt like to Blaine, a betrayal. After everything they went through, Kurt was so willing to put everything on the line and potentially get himself killed.

"Blaine, this is ridiculous," Kurt tried again. "You're being selfish—"

"I'm being selfish?"

That was it. Words tumbled out of Blaine's mouth with so much force, anger and fear that Kurt flinched and subconsciously leaned farther away from him with each sentiment.

"I'm being selfish?" he repeated loudly, throwing one of his new shoes at the opposite wall of the tent. "You're the one signing up to go off and get yourself killed. I risked everything for you, Kurt. Don't you get that? I would have been just fine back at the Community. I would have had a good job, a good home. I would never have had to worry about food or shelter. I did this all for you and Santana and now you're accusing me of being selfish? That's rich, Kurt."

The silence that hung in the air after Blaine's tirade was nearly unbearable. Blaine didn't even believe half of the words that came out of his mouth, and he regretted saying almost all of them but he couldn't take them back now. All he could do was wait.

"You did all of this for me, huh?" Kurt finally asked softly, his eyes immediately glassy with tears. "You are a liar, Blaine, and you know it. You were a miserable, closeted coward before I met you. You would have been fine? With a wife you couldn't make love to and a job that would have had you executing people just like you?"

Blaine flinched and finally broke eye contact with Kurt, focusing intently on his other shoe on the ground below him.

"So tell me," Kurt continued, his voice wavering now. "How close did you come to turning Santana and I over to the Officials?"

"Kurt, it wasn't like that, I—"

"How many times did it cross your mind?" Kurt interrupted. "I want to know exactly how good you had it in the Community, and just how much you sacrificed for me. Tell me."

"I'm sorry," Blaine answered, his heart breaking as he realized what his words had implied. "I didn't mean—"

"You know what?" Kurt cut him off again. He looked like he'd aged five years in the past five minutes. "This is stupid, I can't do this right now. I'm going to go crash with Santana and Marina tonight. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Kurt, please don't go," Blaine pleaded. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean what I said. I'm just really scared and I don't want to lose you again. I can't lose you again."

"I know you're scared," Kurt conceded, turning back from the flap opening of the tent. "But I'm scared too."

Blaine watched helplessly as Kurt turned back and headed out of the tent quietly. He knew he'd fucked up big time, and at least for the time being, there was nothing he could do to fix it. Despite how upset he was with himself, he was still angry with Kurt about his decision to join the rescue team. He didn't understand how Kurt could possibly do this to himself, or any of their group really. There was no denying that the reason the four of them were in New Lima in the first place was because of Kurt. He was their foundation, their back bone and their secret weapon all in one. And now he wanted to rip himself away from them and risk his life all over again.

Blaine still had his lantern on when he heard a voice call out from the outside of his tent. It was Marina.

"Blaine? Are you awake? Can I come in?"

Blaine called her in and sat up from his cot. His eyes felt scratchy and his cheeks puffy from crying, but he tried to compose himself anyway. Marina entered and gave him a small smile before sitting down on the cot across from him.

"Is Kurt…"

"He's with Santana," Marina explained, guessing at Blaine's half-asked question. "She's trying to talk him out of joining the rescuers. It's not going to work though, his mind is already made up. You know that, right?"

"I know," Blaine answered quietly. "I just don't understand why."

"I think I get it," Marina said. "You know how helpless Kurt felt back in the Community? I don't think any of us will fully understand what it meant to be an Infertile, especially for Kurt. Think about it. Think about the Kurt we know. I know that a lot of the escape was a blur for you, but Kurt…I don't even know how to explain it. It's like he came alive during the whole thing. I didn't know him before this, but even I could tell. He was a different person when he was saving us."

Blaine let her words sink in. He'd never thought about Kurt in that way. Sure, he knew that Kurt had saved him, and he knew how much that meant to him, but he hadn't really thought about how much it meant to Kurt, nor had he ever considered how Kurt must have felt being branded as practically useless at the age of fourteen.

"I think I understand," Blaine finally spoke. "But I'm still terrified, Marina, and I don't know how to support him in this."

"Just tell him the truth," she offered. "Let him know how you feel, but don't alienate him. Don't take this away from him. Don't leave him alone."

Blaine nodded and hung his head. He knew what he had to do, but it was going to take a while to gather up his courage to do it.

"Thanks for coming over," he said just above a whisper. "I needed it."

"You're welcome," Marina answered with a small smile. "But I think Kurt's staying with us for the night."

"I know," he answered, defeated.

"He'll be back, Blaine," she reassured. "He loves you too much to stay gone for long."

She stood up and gave Blaine a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before making her way out of the tent, leaving him alone again. Laying back down on his cot, he put out his lantern and closed his eyes. He knew he wouldn't get much sleep, but he would try to rest, and try to get himself in the right frame of mind for the next day.

In the morning, he would talk to Kurt, and one way or another, he would make everything okay again.

* * *

Kurt was eating his breakfast outside of Marina and Santana's tent as the sun was just starting its slow ascent in the sky. He was supposed to meet Thomas and the rest of the team just after sunrise and he'd woken up early to gather his wits.

His argument with Blaine the night before, and his subsequent heated discussion with Santana had left him worn out and second guessing himself. Was any of this really worth it? Maybe Blaine had been right, maybe Kurt was the selfish one. Santana hadn't accused him of that, but she had taken on the strong mothering role that she sometimes adopted in tense situations. At first, she tried to forbid Kurt from joining, but she quickly changed strategies when she realized that she didn't hold that kind of power over him. So then she just tried to guilt him out of doing it, and now Kurt wasn't sure what to think.

Before he could dwell on it too much longer, Kurt saw Blaine approaching him from their shared tent.

"Hey Kurt," Blaine greeted once he was in front of him. "Can I sit down for a second?"

"Sure," Kurt mumbled with a mouthful of food. He scooted over on the log that served as a bench seat. Blaine sat down close, his left thigh touching Kurt's right.

"I'm sorry for the things I said last night," Blaine said, launching into his apology before Kurt could change his mind. "I didn't mean them. I said them because I was scared and I panicked. I love you so much, Kurt, and I just don't want to lose you. But I know how important this is to you and I want you to know that I support you one hundred percent."

Kurt felt like a weight had been lifted off of his shoulders. "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course I do," Blaine reassured. "I'm so sorry I made you doubt my love for you. And to answer your question from last night, I never once thought about turning you and Santana in, because from the moment I heard you singing on my front step, I knew that I loved you."

Kurt didn't know what to say. Instead, he drew Blaine into a strong hug and squeezed so hard he trembled.

"I love you too," he whispered in Blaine's ear. "Thank you. I, um, I need to go, though. I'm supposed to meet Thomas in a few minutes to start orientation."

"I want to come with," Blaine announced with as much bravery as he could muster. It was what he'd been talking himself into all night since talking to Marina. "I want to join with you."

"Blaine…" Kurt trailed off, not knowing what to say. It was clear that Blaine only wanted to join because of Kurt and he wasn't entirely comfortable supporting his decision.

"I want to do this, Kurt," Blaine pressed. "I won't let you do it alone."

Kurt could see the resolve in Blaine's eyes and he knew there was no use in arguing.

"Okay then," he conceded. "Let's get going."

Blaine smiled to hide his fear and he could tell it wasn't working very well with Kurt. Despite this, the two boys stood up and began making their way to the meeting area, both feeling uneasy for different reasons.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Okay, I'm going to be real honest with you guys. This chapter is not very exciting. I am facing an extreme case of writer's block/apathy in this and my other story right now. I'm trying to fight through it, but I think sometimes you just need to let times like this pass, otherwise you end up with mediocre work, and I don't want that to happen.

So...I'm not sure when my next update will be. I'm working on getting back into the groove, but it may take a little time. Thanks for your patience and support. I'll try to snap out of it as soon as possible. Thanks for reading.

**I don't own Glee.**

* * *

Chapter 5

"And...go!"

At the sound of the whistle, Blaine and Kurt both took off. Blaine could hear the thud of his feet pounding the packed dirt track and the thud of his heart slamming against his chest after only a few short seconds. This was their second trial sprint of the morning and it was becoming obvious to him that he wasn't on par with the athletic abilities of the other rescuers or even Kurt. He cast a glance toward Kurt who was slightly ahead of him already. He admired the way Kurt moved so gracefully, even as his arms pumped fast and hard with the effort of maintaining top speed.

Blaine's whole morning thus far had been a study in the way Kurt Hummel moved as he completed the various obstacles set up by Thomas, the leader of the rescue team. It was imperative, according to Thomas, that each member be able to take care of him or herself. It wasn't enough to have a desire to help save others, such as the curious desire that Kurt had expressed. A weak link on a rescue mission could mean the difference between life and death.

As they crossed over the threshold marked at the end of the track by two wooden posts staked into the ground, Blaine slowed to a stop and rested his forearms on his bent legs. Although he was nearly doubled over, he hoped that he didn't look as tired and in pain as he felt.

Kurt slowed to a trot and ran wide circles around the posts before coming to a stop, lacing his fingers behind his head and approaching Blaine.

"You okay?" he asked quietly. As hard as it was, Blaine forced himself to stand straight and shake his feet out a bit.

"Yeah," he answered as nonchalantly as possible. "Yeah, I'm good. You?"

"Fine," Kurt said, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Alright guys," a voice called out to them from behind. They both turned around to find Thomas approaching. "That was good. Blaine, I'm going to send you over to Katherine to work on target practice a bit more. Kurt, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure," Kurt nodded. He turned to Blaine and gave him a quick smile and a wave goodbye as Thomas pointed out where Katherine, the designated weapons expert of the group was situated by the firing range at the west end of the makeshift training facility right outside of New Lima's borders. As soon as Blaine was out of earshot, Thomas leaned in to Kurt. Kurt already knew what he was going to say before the words ever left his mouth.

"He's not cut out for this," Thomas whispered bluntly.

"I know," Kurt sighed. "He's still recovering from his injury."

"No, it's not just that," Thomas responded. "Mentally, he's...listen, why did you want to join the rescue team?"

"Because it's all I can see myself doing," Kurt answered simply. "I can't imagine doing anything else now that I know this team exists."

"And why do you think Blaine is doing this?"

Kurt paused as he thought about it. He knew the answer, but he didn't want to say it out loud for Blaine's sake.

"Because he loves me and he thinks that supporting me means he has to do this too, even if it's not what he wants."

Thomas nodded, as if Kurt just confirmed everything he was already thinking.

"I can't have someone with that mindset on my team," he finally said gently. "You know why, right?"

"Yeah."

Thomas offered him what he hoped was a comforting pat on the back and a small smile.

"You're perfect for the team, Kurt, and we would be honored to have you join us. But I'm going to have to break the news to Blaine that we can't bring him on."

"Will you let me do it?" Kurt asked suddenly. He wasn't sure why it was so important, but he felt like he needed to be the one to tell him.

"Sure," Thomas agreed. "Why don't you head over and grab some lunch. I'll go get Blaine from Katherine and send him your way."

With that, the two men separated and Kurt trudged slowly back through the entryway to the community. He tried to map out what he was going to say to Blaine, how he was going to let him down, and he tried to predict how Blaine might react. Preparing himself for the worst, he grabbed enough food from the outdoor kitchen to feed both of them and went to their usual meal spot to wait for Blaine.

* * *

After speaking with Thomas, Blaine made his way back inside the borders to find Kurt. During his short walk, he tried to get himself in a better frame of mind. He was exhausted and his side hurt, but he didn't want to let on to Kurt that he wasn't feeling well. The last thing he wanted was for Kurt to start worrying about him again.

As he drew closer, he made eye contact with Kurt who acknowledged him and indicated that he'd grabbed their lunch already.

"Hey," he greeted with a wide smile. "Tough morning, huh?"

"Yeah," Kurt agreed. He sounded somewhat distant to Blaine, like his mind was elsewhere, despite how much attention he seemed to be paying to his sandwich.

"I think it's going well though," Blaine spoke again, plopping down next to Kurt and stretching his legs out. "In a few days, I bet all this climbing and jumping and shooting will be second nature."

Kurt winced, and this time he wasn't able to hide it from Blaine.

"What?" Blaine asked innocently.

"We need to talk," Kurt began.

We need to talk. That was never a good start to a conversation. Blaine nodded in agreement, even though he wasn't quite sure what he was agreeing to, before tilting his head to the side and waiting for Kurt to continue the conversation.

"Thomas thinks, and I think, that maybe...I don't know, maybe...it's just that-"

"Kurt, spit it out."

"The rescue team isn't a good fit for you," Kurt finally said, spitting the words out in a rapid fire stream. "You're not fully healed-"

"But I will be," Blaine interjected. "I just need a bit more time. Trust me, I can do this."

"It's not just that," Kurt sighed, as if it was physically painful for him to be having this discussion. "You're only doing it because of me. It's not what you truly want to do, and Thomas thinks it's going to cause problems on missions."

Blaine could feel his face heating up with a combination of embarrassment and anger.

"And what do you think?" he asked simply. Kurt couldn't help but look away from him.

"I think he's right," Kurt answered quietly, still not making eye contact with Blaine. He stayed still, with his eyes cast on the ground in front of him until he felt Blaine getting up. He opened his mouth to call after him, but no sound came out. What was he going to say, anyway? _He just needs some time,_ Kurt thought to himself._ Once he cools down, this will all be a relief to him._

Kurt finally looked up once Blaine was a safe distance away and watched as he stalked off. He couldn't tell where Blaine was headed off to, but it didn't really matter. Kurt needed to get back to the training grounds any way. He just hoped that by the time he was finished that evening, Blaine would be calm enough to see the truth and love in what Kurt had told him. All Kurt wanted was to protect Blaine and serve on the rescue team and he hoped with everything he had that choosing one wouldn't cost him the other.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Hey guys, I'm soooo sorry that I've taken so much time away from this story. I feel awful about it. Please forgive me? Would it help if I told you there's some fairly heavy smut in this chapter? I'm going to do my best to stay on track with this story from here on out, so hopefully I haven't lost too many of you.

I would love to hear what you think and thanks for sticking with this. I really do appreciate it.

I don't own Glee.

* * *

"You're being ridiculous, you know that, right?"

"Will you please just leave me alone? I don't want to have this conversation again."

"Too bad, brillo pad, I'm tired of you sucking around here because Kurt hurt your feelings in the process of saving your pathetic life."

Blaine kept silent. He was used to Santana's abrupt, tell-it-like-it-is manner of communicating, but now it just felt like she was hitting below the belt. He knew he couldn't hide out at Santana and Marina's tent forever, but he wasn't sure where else to go. It wasn't that Kurt had kicked him out or anything. They hadn't even talked since a week before when Kurt broke the news to him that he wasn't going to be accepted on the rescue team.

The bottom line was that Blaine was embarrassed, and a little bit ashamed at his failure. It really didn't matter how many times Marina told him that it wasn't his fault that he was injured, or how many times Santana told him to suck it up already, he just wasn't ready to face Kurt yet. That is, until Santana used her weapon of last resort.

"You know he's headed out on his first mission tomorrow."

Blaine didn't know, and the news took him aback. He knew it would be soon, but he didn't realize it would be this soon. From what Blaine understood, the missions lasted anywhere from a day or two to several weeks or even months. And with no way of sending communication back to the community, those left behind could do nothing but wait and hope for their safe return.

It was the situation Blaine had been trying to avoid all along. His main reason for wanting to join the rescue team. He didn't ever want to be in that situation again, the one where he waited and hoped and eventually began to accept that he would never see Kurt again. It was torture, and it was enough to make him want to risk his own life to avoid it. But in the end it hadn't mattered. Blaine was rejected from the rescue team and as with everything else in his life, he was forced to sit down and accept the fate that was dictated for him.

"I can tell by the way your nostrils are flaring that this is coming as a bit of a surprise to you," Santana continued, arms folded as she stood above him. "And you look pretty pissed. So what are you going to do, Blaine? Are you going to keep acting like a two year old or are you going to go make up and tell him how much he means to you before he risks his life trying to save other people?"

Blaine stood up and pushed past her. He knew she was only trying to help, and he would apologize and make it up to her later, but for now he needed to get out of that tent. It had been his haven the last few days, but in a matter of seconds, the oxygen seemed to be forced from the room and Blaine needed to catch his breath. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Santana was right. Blaine needed to get right with Kurt before he left in the morning. He needed to swallow his pride and make sure that if it _was_ the last time he ever saw the love of his life, Kurt would know how much he meant to him.

* * *

Kurt had spent the last half hour packing and unpacking his travel bag. It seemed that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make all of the things on his checklist fit into the tiny sack. It'll get easier the more times I do it, he told himself nervously. Deep down, he worried that this would be it, the first and last mission he ever went on. Thomas had assured him that their record was good, comparatively. It wasn't often these days that they lost anyone at all. The group was cohesive, Thomas told him. They knew each other, better than they knew even their significant others, at times. It was vital that they did.

But Kurt was new, and while he got along with everyone in the group and they all seemed to accept him, he didn't feel that bond with them yet. He knew that this was exactly what he was supposed to be doing. He knew he was destined to be a member of the rescue team, but it didn't mean he wasn't nervous as hell.

Kurt heard a rustle behind him as he turned around to see Blaine opening the canvas flap of the tent.

"Can I come in?" Blaine asked nervously. Kurt nodded. He was wondering if he would see Blaine again before he left. He'd come to Santana's tent several times to try to talk to Blaine, but each time he was turned away. It hurt, a lot, but he couldn't focus on that. He had to keep his mind clear and focused on the upcoming mission.

"I, um, I heard you leaving out tomorrow."

"First thing," Kurt answered with a tight smile. He couldn't help thinking that Blaine would have known that days ago if he had just talked to him when Kurt tried to see him.

"Are you scared?" Blaine blurted out. He hadn't been able to stop himself.

"Not too bad," Kurt lied. "I've faced scarier."

"Yeah."

This wasn't going at all how Blaine would have wanted it to, but he felt so awkward, so out of control. What was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to beg Kurt not to go for his sake? Was he supposed to wish him luck? Ease the tension with a joke?

"Why are you here, Blaine?" Kurt asked bluntly. The words cut into Blaine like a knife, but he knew why Kurt had asked him that. And now he knew what he needed to say.

"I owe you a huge apology," Blaine started. "I was selfish and immature and I'm really, really sorry."

Kurt nodded, biting his lower lip. There was so much he wanted to say and he hadn't realized how angry he was with Blaine until this moment.

"I know things have been rough since you got here—"

"Things have been rough since we met," Kurt interrupted, ignoring the involuntary flinch from his boyfriend. "Don't you get it, Blaine? All we do is fight, except when one of us is in mortal danger, and then we make up just until the next crisis comes along."

"That's not fair."

"That's life. That's _our_ life. I love you, Blaine, and I would do anything in the world to keep you in my life. But not if it's going to be like this. I'm leaving tomorrow and I may not make it back. But if I do, I refuse to ride this merry-go-round with you. We have got to figure this out or we're not going to make it."

Blaine swallowed thickly. Kurt was right, of course. About all of it. Not that that made it hurt any less.

"I'll do whatever I need to do," he finally said softly. "I don't want to lose you Kurt."

Kurt stepped closer and put his arms softly around Blaine's neck, drawing him closer.

"I don't want to lose you either."

Blaine was surprised when Kurt captured his lips with his own. He wasn't expecting to feel that amazing sensation again before Kurt left, but he wasn't about to question it. He eagerly pushed back, suddenly cognizant of the fact that he'd been starved far too long of physical affection from his lover. Kurt signaled his agreement with a soft moan that hit Blaine at his core. All of the sudden, he could think of nothing else but being inside Kurt, feeling the sensation of being completely enveloped by him.

He guided Kurt down onto the cot, pushing his half-packed bag off the edge. Kurt didn't argue. Instead, he focused his attention on removing Blaine's clothes, interrupting his kisses only to remove their undershirts.

"I want you," Kurt whispered, and Blaine didn't need any more coaxing. He slid Kurt's pants and underwear off in one motion, followed swiftly by his own. Kurt gasped as Blaine's shaking, but strong hands found their way up and down Kurt's thighs, rubbing and squeezing with an almost frenzied urgency.

"Slow down," he guided gently, feeling the way Blaine's heart pounded hard and erratically against his own chest. Despite his recovery, Kurt still worried about Blaine, and he didn't want to have to worry. Not right now. Not in this moment. Blaine nodded slightly, removing his lips from Kurt's to take a slow, shaky breath. Kurt could feel his hot breath against his own neck and it made him shudder. He was so hard now, and so ready, but he wanted to take his time tonight.

Kurt took the opportunity to roll them both over, so that he was straddling Blaine now. Blaine looked up at him with his signature mixture of sexiness and wonder, the one that Kurt loved more than anything. He stuck his fingers in his mouth and sucked on them, swirling his tongue around to coat them and relishing the confusion on Blaine's face. Pulling them out, he lowered his mouth onto Blaine's collar bone, while inserting a finger into himself at the same time.

Blaine gasped at the sensation of Kurt's hot, wet mouth on one of his most sensitive spots. He couldn't see Kurt's hand as it disappeared behind him, but just knowing what Kurt was doing was almost enough to send him over the edge. Kurt made his way slowly down and around Blaine's chest, leaving marks and paying special attention to Blaine's sensitive nipples as he continued to work on himself, gradually adding fingers and stretching himself, preparing for Blaine's considerable girth. Kurt was turned on by both the noises that Blaine was making, and the way his muscles clenched and pulsated around his fingers. He drew in a shuddering breath as he sat back up and looked into Blaine's eyes.

Blaine sat up on his elbows as he tried to reach Kurt's mouth for a kiss, but Kurt scooted back before leaning down and capturing Blaine's throbbing cock in his mouth.

"Mmmhh," Blaine groaned. It felt so good, even better because he hadn't been expecting it. He hadn't been expecting any of it really, but it was exactly what he wanted and needed. Kurt bobbed up and down several times before sitting back up reluctantly. He wanted to keep going, but he sensed that Blaine would be hitting the finish line without him if he didn't pull back. Kurt maneuvered himself on top of Blaine, hovering over him. Grabbing Blaine's cock, he slowly lowered himself onto him, feeling his muscles clench and spasm around Blaine on his way down. Blaine responded with two short, involuntary thrusts.

"Oh my God," Kurt breathed as he fought hard not to come right then and there. It had been far too long since they'd been this close and he knew that neither of them were going to last long. He pushed down hard on Blaine's shoulders, pushing his own body up in the process before dropping himself forcefully back down. Blaine's eyes nearly rolled back in his head as he continued to thrust and make all the wonderful noises that Kurt hadn't realized he missed so much.

They continued like this, slowing down at times to keep from coming before speeding back up again, for nearly a half hour before they both decided it was time. Blaine rocked up, tucking his knees under him while guiding Kurt onto his back, lifting his ass into the air. Blaine thrust hard, grunting loudly each time and not really caring if anyone outside of the tent could hear them, which they probably could. Kurt responded with high, breathy gasps until his eyes flew wide open and without warning, he was coming hard, each spasm shooting come between them.

Blaine was quick to follow, his cock responding to the way Kurt's muscles twitched and rolled with each wave of Kurt's orgasm. He continued to rock through his own orgasm, letting Kurt's body milk him of everything he had. He loved the way Kurt sighed happily through each exhausted breath and with great reluctance he pulled out, hating the cold air that separated him from the sensation of being inside of Kurt.

They laid together, naked and sticky, for hours, sometimes talking in hushed, close whispers, sometimes sleeping. By the time they realized they needed to get up to bathe and eat, it was nearly eight at night. In twelve hours Kurt would be gone and who knew if he'd return at all.

"Blaine, I want you to know that no matter what ha—"

"Don't," Blaine interrupted him gently. "Let's not do that. Not tonight. We'll say it all tomorrow, I promise, but let's just let tonight be, okay?"

"Okay," Kurt agreed with a soft, sad smile. Blaine could pretend, and Kurt was willing to indulge him in that, but Kurt didn't have that luxury. Tomorrow was happening whether he ignored it tonight or not, and he needed to be ready.

Especially if he had any hopes of seeing Blaine again.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Hey guys! There was a bit more of a delay in getting this chapter up than I was hoping for, but at least it wasn't more than a month like last time! :) I'll try to do better over the holidays. Thanks as always for reading :)

**I don't own Glee.**

* * *

Chapter 7

It was still dark outside when Thomas came to Kurt's tent to retrieve him for the mission. They weren't scheduled to leave until close to eight in the morning, but there were protocols to follow, lists to check off and so forth. Kurt didn't really need Thomas to wake him. He hadn't slept much at all, not after the night he and Blaine shared combined with his nervous energy arising from the task that lay ahead of him.

The details of the mission were few, and since it was his first, Kurt felt even more in the dark than the rest of the team. He knew they were going to a community about fifty miles south, about a day and a half day trek, but other than that, he wasn't sure what to expect. Unlike previous missions, this one wasn't completely new; the team had smuggled people from this community in the past, so that comforted Kurt a bit. At least the rest of the team had an inkling of what kind of security measures to expect.

Kurt tried to keep his questions to Thomas and the other team members to a minimum. He didn't want to be the new guy who asked stupid, scared-sounding questions. So when he nonchalantly asked how long of a break the team took between missions, he was actually trying to gauge the kind of shape the group returned home in. When Sandra, a longtime member of the team told him the breathing period between missions was anywhere from two weeks to two months, Kurt was pretty sure what that meant. Some missions went well, others not so.

"We usually get back to work sooner rather than later," Sandra had told him, her reassuring tone and pat on the back suggesting that she knew exactly what Kurt was asking. He was grateful for her understanding, and for the bonds he was quickly forming with the ten other members of the team aside from himself, Sandra and Thomas.

Kurt contemplated waking Blaine up to say goodbye before ultimately deciding just to let their time together the night before suffice as a farewell. Blaine would probably be upset by this decision, but the way Kurt figured it, when he came back, Blaine would be so happy to see him, he wouldn't remember his anger. That is, if Kurt came back at all.

_You can't think like that, Hummel_, Kurt scolded himself as he laced up his boots in the dark. Thomas was always telling him that it was thoughts like that that would get him killed. And Kurt understood why. It was the responsibility of every member of the team to stay strong, both physically and mentally. Kurt had no intentions of letting the team down in either capacity.

By the time Kurt arrived at the rescue team's base, all but two of the other members were already gathered around the fire pit. Some were scarfing down breakfasts of fruit and corn fritters, supplied by the kitchen team, while others packed and repacked their carry bags. Thomas was checking items off in his notebook and verbally called out each member's name as they arrived to the base. Kurt placed his pack down at his feet and accepted the breakfast that was handed to him.

"Alright everyone," Thomas called out as the last member arrived at base, his voice booming in the still of the early morning. "You all know the basics. We're travelling south to the Concord Community. We've been contacted by a go-between who tells us there are five people trying to leave."

A go-between, Kurt learned, was a person who didn't live in any one free community. Rather, they lived between communities, usually in heavily wooded areas in makeshift forts, and made a living out of travelling to restrictive communities and delivering communications to those on the outside. In a way, they were mailmen and women, the only source of information travel available in this new world. In exchange for their services, free colonies supplied them with food and other necessities, usually as payment for information.

"We will leave in approximately ten minutes," Thomas continued. "So make sure your checklists are complete, eat breakfast and answer nature's call if needed. Our travel schedule will land us just outside of Concord by six p.m. tomorrow evening. Kurt, can I talk to you for a moment?"

Kurt looked like a deer in headlights, but quickly responded, standing up from where he sat to eat his breakfast and brushing his hands off on his pants. He followed Thomas about twenty yards away from the group before Thomas turned around to face him.

"How're ya feeling?" Thomas asked, his laidback manner of communication in slight conflict with the nervous energy that buzzed palpably around him.

"Good, good," Kurt answered with a bit more enthusiasm than was believable. "I'm a bit terrified," he quickly admitted.

"Well, to be honest, I'd be a bit worried if you weren't," Thomas reassured him with an easy smile. "Every single one of us is a bit terrified every time we head out there, no matter how many missions we've gone out on. The main thing to remember is that every single one of us has your back. And we know we can count on you to have ours. Now, I only know what you and Maggie have told me, but from what I understand, you are pretty much the reason that the four in your group made it here alive."

"I don't think—"

"Kurt," Thomas interrupted, as Kurt's cheeks quickly flushed. "It's true. I see the potential in you. I never would have selected you for this mission if I didn't believe in your abilities. Just remember that and you'll be fine, got it?"

"Got it," Kurt responded with a nervous smile. How could Thomas have so much faith in him when his insides felt like jelly? Kurt gave himself another quick internal pep talk as he walked side-by-side back to the base with Thomas.

"Alright everyone," Thomas barked as the group fell silent. "Grab your packs and let's go! We want to get some good mileage in today. The farther we go today, the more time we have for preparation tomorrow. Either way, when one a.m. hits the day after tomorrow, the mission will begin."

With that, Thomas turned on his heel and the group followed him. Kurt fell somewhere in the middle, not wanting to take the lead, but not wanting to fall behind either. The team members around him fell into easy, animated conversations, knowing that once they got a certain distance outside of the community borders, they would have to remain silent. Kurt tried to remain engaged in the conversation between the two members nearest him, but he was too nervous to focus on anything other than mentally going over his survival checklist item by item, quizzing himself on different disaster scenarios. By the time the team had been walking for about an hour, he was feeling much more confident, his nerves giving way to excitement and a faint adrenaline that was starting to pump louder and harder in his veins.

This was what he wanted, after all. He wanted to save people and he wanted to feel that adrenaline again. His own escape from Columbus had given him a taste of that feeling. Ever since then, he was aching for more, and no matter how foolish it may have been to join the rescue team, he needed to feel the fear that came with not knowing if he'd be alive from one moment to the next. It was like a drug, and from his first taste, Kurt was addicted.

He just hoped that his quest for the feeling wouldn't kill him.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Dear readers, I am so sorry that it's been so long since I've updated. My muse left me for a bit and with real life getting a bit in the way, this story fell by the wayside. I hope you'll forgive me. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of people abandoned this story, but for those of you who have stayed, I offer you my deepest gratitude. Thank you for sticking with it, and I hope to make you proud in the end. Thanks again for reading.

**I don't own Glee.**

* * *

"Alright everyone, gather around."

Kurt, along with the other members of the rescue team obeyed the soft whisper, huddling as close to Thomas as possible so that his voice could be heard. It was pitch black and the air around them was silent, leaving them to concentrate on stifling any little noise for fear of alerting the guards. They were right outside the giant wall, not unlike the barrier surrounding the Columbus Community, that separated them from the escapees of Concord.

"Everyone knows their role," Thomas whispered quietly, earning nods from the rest of the group. Earlier that morning, they delved further into their game plan for rescuing the escapees. Much like his own escape from Columbus, a large hole had been dug under the wall, only this time, it was dug from the outside in to minimize suspicion on the other side.

The recon they'd received from the go-between suggested that security was about mid-grade; not the worse they'd had to deal with but certainly not the easiest. The worst thing the group could do was relax and let their guard down even a bit.

Kurt was slightly disappointed with his assignment. In a few moments, when Thomas broke up the huddle, he would be scaling a large tree near the wall, high enough to see over and search for trouble. He knew he'd been given this relatively safe task, not just because he was a good climber, but because he was new and inexperienced. Not to mention it was so soon after his own, very similarly mapped escape. He wondered throughout the day after receiving his assignment if Thomas was worried that he might snap under some PTSD-induced panic. Kurt huffed at the idea in his mind. He was strong. Maybe one of the strongest in the group. He just had to prove himself.

Kurt looked up at that moment, intending to focus back on Thomas, but instead his eyes zoned in on Scott, the other assigned tree climber. Really, only one was necessary, but it made sense to have two. Since they would be the last to leave, making sure no one was following the group, it was safer to have a pair in case they ran into trouble. Kurt would be lying if he didn't admit he was a tiny bit grateful.

Earlier in the day, after the assignment meeting and while they continued to trek to Concord, Scott had jogged to catch up with Kurt. They'd only talked once or twice before and never at length.

"If we're going to be assigned together, we need to get to know each other," Scott reasoned with him, offering a sheepish smile. Of course Kurt agreed. He took a few moments to observe the boy who walked beside him. He was just slightly taller than Kurt, with sandy blond hair and a smattering of freckles across his nose. He had a slim, athletic build, as though in a different world, he may be a long distance runner. Kurt couldn't help but notice the shocking blue of his eyes.

"My name is Scott, obviously," he started out when it appeared that Kurt wasn't going to start the conversation. "Let's see, I'm twenty-two years old, I've lived at New Lima almost since the beginning. My mom and dad escaped with me. My mom works on the cooking team and my dad leads the hunters."

"Well you don't get more gender stereotyped than that," Kurt spoke wryly, and then immediately worried that Scott would take offense. He hadn't meant any. Luckily, Scott laughed and continued on.

"No, I guess not," he answered lightly, as if he hadn't ever thought about it before. "Anyway, I'm on the rescue team, as you can clearly see, and I've been here for four years. I would have joined earlier, but they have an age requirement."

Four years. Kurt rolled that fact over in his brain. It seemed like a long time. It gave him comfort knowing that he would be working with someone who'd been rescuing for so long and was still in one piece.

"So, our assignment," Kurt ventured. "Have you—"

"Always been a climber?" Scott filled in his blanks with a smile. "Yeah, I guess I have. That's been my assignment from the beginning."

Kurt's expression fell a bit. He was hoping that there was a chance to move up, so to speak, into a more important role.

"Hey, you know, I may be biased, but I think this job is the most essential," Scott reasoned, seeing the disappointment in Kurt's features. "No really, hear me out. So we're up there, away from all the danger on the ground, right? All we have to do is make the signal noise if we hear someone coming, right? No way, man. It's not that simple. You and I are the last ones to leave. Everyone is counting on us to make sure that the Officials don't catch up with the group. If they come after us, we're the ones to stop them. When it comes down to it, everyone is counting on us to keep them safe. If the Officials get past us, the whole group is in danger."

Kurt paled.

"Wait," Scott said, biting his lip. "Shit, that was too much, wasn't it? Forget I said anything, just remember, you're good at what you do, that's why Thomas picked you. You saved your friends, right? Santana and her sister, and…is it Blaine? Yeah, you saved all of them singlehandedly, and now you get to do the same thing, only this time you have some help from an expert."

Kurt tried to smile at Scott's obvious charm. He was trying so hard to put Kurt at ease and Kurt appreciated it.

"People keep saying I saved my friends," Kurt mumbled after a few moments of silence. "It wasn't like that though. I mean, I wouldn't have even left the community if it hadn't been for Santana wanting me to."

"But you did leave," Scott added quietly. "And now you're here and you want to help other people leave. And you're going to be great at it."

After that, the boys fell into easy conversation with each other, and Kurt found himself genuinely enjoying Scott's company. By the time they were huddled around Thomas at five minutes until go time, Kurt was completely secure with trusting Scott as his co-partner in their assignment. As his eyes met Scott's, Scott winked and Kurt saw his white teeth flash in the moonlight. Kurt was certain that when he returned the smile, it must have looked more like a grimace.

"Kurt, Scott, it's time," Thomas said, startling Kurt out of his daze. He'd been staring at Scott for an embarrassing number of seconds and he was sure the entire group had caught him.

"Right," Scott said, breaking the tension Kurt felt. "Let's go then. Good luck guys." Scott backed out of the group and walked around to Kurt. He cuffed him lightly on the shoulder, gave him a reassuring nod and headed over to his designated tree. Kurt nodded back and with a deep breath, headed to his own.

Kurt climbed and climbed until he reached a spot just high enough to see the base of the wall inside the community. His eyes immediately landed on the group of five escapees huddled around where the hole was dug on the other side. All they would have to do was remove the small amount of dirt that remained, obscuring the hole from anyone who may have been walking the perimeter. At Scott's signal, the group began to quietly, but quickly dig on their side and within a few minutes, the passageway was complete.

Kurt, as directed, kept his eyes trained slightly off in the distance, his ears perked for any unusual sound. He was surprised at how quickly the whole thing happened. The entire group was on the other side of the wall within five minutes and after a very brief talk with Thomas and Sandra while three other members of the rescuers worked at a harried pace to fill the hole back in with dirt and brush, the full group of rescuers and escapees was heading back into the woods, swiftly and quietly.

Well, the whole group aside from Kurt and Scott. Kurt kept looking and listening, but didn't hear anything. After a few more minutes he allowed his eyes to seek out Scott in his own tree.

Kurt was impressed with what he saw. Scott was perched at what almost looked like an impossible angle, his eyes scanning the area in front of him with what looked like expert precision. One of his hands was grasping his bow, while the other was perched above his shoulder, ready to pull an arrow out and load it at a second's notice. Kurt, on the other hand, had to keep at least one hand perched on the tree trunk at all times for fear of losing his balance and toppling out. Not Scott though. If Kurt didn't know any better, he'd guess that Scott was born in a tree.

He turned his attention back to the wall and after a few minutes, he heard the quiet signal from Scott. It meant that the coast was clear and they could start running to catch up with the group. Relieved, Kurt began shimmying down the tree as Scott did the same. He leaned over to brush the loose bark off of his pants and he heard Scott's footsteps approaching him. His head still down, he smiled, preparing to tell Scott that the mission hadn't been nearly as dangerous as he was expecting, that he was expecting at least a little bit of a chase, when he heard the hammer of a gun being pulled back behind his ear. On instinct, he froze, his posture still slightly bent from being hunched over. The click of the hammer sent ice coursing through his veins.

"Hold it," a gruff voice snarled from behind him. "You're not going anywhere, boy. You're dead."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **It feels good to be back :) Just a small warning for this chapter, there is a tiny bit of risque material in this chapter. Tiny bit. Thanks for reading!

**I don't own Glee.**

* * *

The only thing Kurt was aware of was the pound of footsteps falling on the forest ground and the even heavier thud of blood pulsing in his ears. Everything had happened so quickly; the click of the gun, the whiz of the arrow over his head, the awful gurgling sound coming from the man as he dropped his gun to the ground.

"Grab it!" Scott had shouted at Kurt, still as frozen as he had been when he first heard the man with the gun behind him. "Grab it!" he shouted again, this time louder and with more urgency, but almost immediately he was at Kurt's side, scooping up the loaded gun and yanking Kurt by the arm, startling him out of his trance.

And now they were running. The footfalls that had been following them, and the accompanying shouts and random gunfires were growing farther and farther away. The fact that they were quick and light on their feet not only made them perfect for the assignment of lookout, but also, as Kurt was growing to understand, made them the ideal candidates to outrun the enemy, if such an unfortunate event should arise.

By the time Scott slowed to a stop, Kurt was out of breath, but desperate to keep running. In fact, he did try to keep running, but Scott stopped him, grabbing his hand as he tried to pass. Kurt was shocked at how warm Scott's hand felt around his own cold and clammy one.

"I think we're good," he panted to Kurt, scanning the forest around him. Kurt knew right away what he was doing. He was looking for the perfect tree to climb. And then, as if to confirm what Kurt was already suspecting, he added, "We need to get off the ground for a bit just to make sure."

Kurt nodded, gulping in as much fresh air as he possibly could. He was tired, but he knew the adrenaline coursing through his veins would at least be enough to get him in the tree. Within moments, Scott located one and to Kurt's surprise, he stood by it as if to offer Kurt a boost.

"Come on, Kurt," he coaxed gently, but with a slight edge. They were exactly home free yet. Finally, Kurt moved towards him and accepted the boost he offered. His muscles shouted weakly at him as he shimmied his way up to a tall, well concealed branch. He was turning around to look down and ask Scott which tree he'd picked out for himself when he was startled to see Scott close on his heels. Apparently they were sharing a tree. For some reason, this both comforted and distressed him.

"Are you okay?" Scott asked him in a whisper once they were both settled in the tree. "You kind of froze back there."

Kurt's face reddened as he could feel Scott staring at him intently. They were facing each other, having settled on a split in the trunk about thirty feet off of the ground.

"Yeah," Kurt answered with a tight smile. "Sorry about that, I guess I just-"

"No worries," Scott smiled back, waiving his hand casually as if Kurt had simply bumped into him on accident. As if he hadn't just shot an arrow precisely through the man with the gun's throat, shooting with so much forced that the arrowhead pierced the man's spinal cord. "I know it got rough back there. That hasn't happened in a long time."

"I guess I'm lucky then," Kurt answered sarcastically. His old snarky defense mechanism was kicking in.

Scott looked away, choosing to drop the subject, at least for the time being. He scanned the forest floor and they were both silent as they listened for the men who were following them after the brief altercation.

"I think we lost them," Scott finally announced. "But we have to follow protocol."

"What's protocol?" Kurt asked, feeling stupid. Had they covered this in the meetings before the mission? If they had, Kurt couldn't remember.

"We spend the rest of the night up here and leave tomorrow night. Just to make sure we aren't being followed."

"And if we are being followed?" Kurt asked, although he wasn't sure he wanted to know the answer.

"Then at least the group will be back to New Lima safe," Scott answered, a bit of pride evident in his voice. It was clear to Kurt that Scott not only took his job seriously, but truly enjoyed the thrill of what he did. Kurt hoped he would get there at some point, but at the moment, he just felt like he was going to hurl.

"Hey," Scott said gently, looking back at Kurt in that same way that made him blush before. "This gets better, okay? It gets easier, I promise."

"You killed that guy," Kurt finally mumbled. "You reacted in a split second and just...killed him."

"He had a gun to your head, Kurt," Scott answered defensively, not appreciating the accusatory lilt in Kurt's voice.

"I just...I don't know if I'll ever be comfortable killing someone like that, that's all."

This time when Kurt looked away uncomfortably, Scott didn't give him the benefit of reciprocation.

"Well if you want to be on this team, you better get comfortable with the idea," he said, sounding angrier with every word. "And the sooner, the better."

They were silent for a long time after that. Eventually, Scott instructed Kurt to get some sleep while he kept a look out. A few hours later, they switched roles and Kurt split his time between keeping a look out and contemplating the sleeping man in front of him.

It was nearly noon at this point and Kurt watched as the shadows of the leaves above them shaded Scott's face in intricate designs that changed with every soft gust of wind. The way the filtered light hit his face reminded Kurt of the stained glass windows from his grandmother's church when he was a little boy. It wasn't until Scott was stirring awake that Kurt realized that he had been contemplating how beautiful his skin looked while he slept.

"Rise and shine," Kurt said with a tiny smile, testing the tense waters from their earlier interaction. He wanted to apologize, to clear the air. After he had the time to process everything that had happened, he felt terrible about what he'd said to Scott. Scott had saved his life after all, and for some reason, Kurt had seen it fit to practically accuse him of being a sociopath for it.

"Hey," Scott mumbled, stretching his limbs the best he could in the confined space without kicking Kurt in front of him. "Has it been clear?"

"Crystal," Kurt responded. "Listen, I owe you an apology for earlier. I was really out of line with what I said, and…I should be thanking you for what you did, so thank you."

Scott didn't say anything at first, which made Kurt feel uneasy. He once again looked away while Scott stared directly at him. Finally he leaned back against the trunk and took a deep breath.

"Don't worry about it," he said casually. "I know this is all new to you. I'd be surprised if you didn't have that reaction, honestly."

"So, do you think we can just forget about the whole thing?" Kurt ventured nervously.

This time, Scott didn't make him wait. "I suppose we could," he answered lightly with a wide grin.

After that, their conversation moved freely and before they knew it, it was dark again and they could start their journey. They'd spent the entire day and into the evening getting to know each other more, so by the time they were carefully climbing down the tree, Kurt was certain he knew just about every detail of Scott's life. He'd been pretty open with Scott about himself as well, save a few details. He felt stupid when he asked Scott what his fertility status was, forgetting that Scott and his family had escaped their community several years before he would have been tested. It did, however, give Kurt the opportunity to explain the system to Scott, who'd seemed very interested in finding out how the whole process worked.

"So Blaine is your boyfriend, right?" Scott had asked as the sun started to go down.

"Yeah," Kurt answered quickly. For some reason, talking about Blaine with Scott made him uncomfortable. "What about you, do you have a girlfriend?"

Kurt was startled and embarrassed when Scott started to laugh. "Girlfriend? No, I'm, I'm definitely gay."

"Oh," Kurt responded lamely, not knowing what else to say.

"It's actually part of the reason we fled our community so quickly," Scott continued casually. "My parents knew, and they were worried that I would be punished somehow by our Officials. Our community was pretty strict compared to some of the others I've seen. Hell, we've been on some missions where the Officials pretty much swung the gates open for the escapees to leave."

Kurt was flabbergasted by this tidbit of information. He'd assumed they were all like Columbus.

"I guess mine was on the worse end," he said and Scott, after hearing Kurt describe it, nodded in agreement.

"We better head out," Scott announced shortly after, putting an abrupt end to their conversation. He began climbing down the tree first, and when Kurt got near the bottom, he was surprised to feel Scott's strong hands around his waist, helping him to float down to the ground. Kurt spun around to thank him, expecting his grip to release, but it didn't and Kurt found himself practically nose to nose with him.

"Thanks," Kurt said, slightly out of breath from the climb down. He opened his mouth to speak, feeling like he needed to say something to the man standing so close in front of him, but before he could get anything out, Scott quickly pressed his lips to his.

The kiss elicited a small whimper of surprise from Kurt, and upon hearing it, Scott immediately dropped his hands from Kurt's waist and backed off.

"Christ, I am so sorry," he apologized quickly, putting his hands out in front of him. "I don't know what the hell I was thinking, you have a boyfriend and that was completely out of line and—"

Kurt knew it was wrong, but in the moment, he didn't care. Interrupting Scott's embarrassed apology, Kurt rushed toward him and swept Scott's lips up with his own. Scott immediately began kissing back, and what had started off as a stolen, closed-mouth kiss turned into a heated make out session.

Their hands went everywhere, urgent to explore one another. It wasn't long before Scott pushed Kurt up against the tree they'd called home the night before, grinding against him with complete abandon.

As Kurt moaned almost obscenely loudly, especially considering the dangers of their surroundings, a small amount of guilt began creeping into the back of his mind. It wasn't until Scott reached for Kurt's zipper, brushing his hand intentionally against Kurt's almost painfully hard erection, that he finally had the wherewithal to stop him.

"No," he said breathlessly, and Scott, to his credit, backed off at once. "No, I'm sorry. This is…I shouldn't be doing this. I'm with Blaine."

Scott nodded, as if admitting a truth he'd known all along but didn't want to acknowledge until he was forced too.

"Yeah, I'm sorry," Scott mumbled. "That was really out of line. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Kurt assured him, although he knew for himself it wasn't. "I just…need a few moments. Do you mind?"

"No, no, not at all," Scott answered awkwardly, knowing that he needed a few moments to himself to calm down as well. "Just let me know when you're ready and we'll, you know, we'll leave. Okay then, I'll just…I'll just be over here."

If he didn't have so much else on his mind, Kurt probably would have been embarrassed for Scott for the way he babbled on. But he was too busy trying to figure out how he was going to explain all this to Blaine. Or if he was going to explain it at all. Blaine was probably sick to his stomach with worry by this point already, since the entire group save two members should have arrived back at New Lima by then. That fact only made Kurt feel guiltier.

Shaking his head while at the same time trying to get the rest of his body to stop trembling, Kurt made a decision that he hoped Scott would go along with and that he hoped wouldn't come back to bite him.

Blaine wouldn't find out about what happened because neither Kurt nor Scott was going to tell him. After all, it had been a one-time mistake that wouldn't be repeated and telling him would definitely cause more damage than good.

What Blaine didn't know couldn't hurt him. And Kurt would do anything to keep from hurting Blaine even more than he had.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Hey guys, sorry this chapter is so short, I wanted to get something to y'all now since I won't have much time to write this week. Hope you enjoy and thank you for your thoughts on Scott. We'll see what happens!

**I don't own Glee.**

* * *

Blaine was nearly out of his mind with worry. The rescue team had made it home almost thirty six hours ago and Kurt wasn't back yet. When he approached Thomas, he explained that Kurt and another member of the team had to stay behind for security reasons, but they should have been back by now. For several hours now, Blaine had been able to do nothing but pace in front of the main entry way into New Lima, scanning the forest beyond for any sign of Kurt. Marina, Santana and Brittany helped him keep vigil.

"I'm sure he's fine, Blaine," Santana reasoned. "Thomas said he would be back any time now."

"Yeah," Brittany added, picking her nails absentmindedly. "And Thomas is like, the smartest person here. Besides me, of course."

"And didn't he say that the other guy he's with is really experienced?" Marina added. "We already know that Kurt is capable of taking care of himself, so with someone else there with him, he's probably invincible."

Blaine shook his head. He knew the girls were just trying to help, but he couldn't shake the ominous feeling that something horrible had happened. That he would never see Kurt again, or if he did, he was wounded somehow, never to recover. He continued to pace, wringing his hands.

Santana and Marina looked at each other and shared a small, worried glance. Truth be told, they were worried about Kurt as well. Brittany didn't seem to have the same concern, and Santana hoped it was because she had more experience in New Lima and therefore had a better estimation that Kurt was okay. She and Brittany had just returned from a semi-successful scavenging trip. They were able to recover two generators, one of which actually had a bit of juice left in it. The engineering group seemed to be pretty impressed with their find.

Brittany was, as it turned out, a scavenging queen. While at first glance, she seemed ditzy and scatter-brained, she actually had an expert eye for what had value and what was trash. Santana figured it was because she had been doing it for so long, but really, it seemed to be something Brittany was born with. A gift of sorts.

"Well," Marina said, breaking the uneasy silence after a few minutes. "I've got to meet up with my team."

"This late?" Santana asked suspiciously. It was almost four in the afternoon.

"Yeah," Marina answered, a small embarrassed blush coming over her cheeks. "I still have training modules to complete."

Santana wasn't buying it. Marina probably could have gotten away with the vague explanation had she not turned beet red. Her little sister was hiding something. If it weren't for the situation with Kurt, she would have pursued it, but she decided the conversation could wait until tomorrow.

"Fine," Santana answered, noticing the whoosh of air her sister released upon doing so. "Just make sure you're back before dark."

Marina rolled her eyes but gave Blaine a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek before she left. Blaine barely noticed.

"What if he can't get home? What if he's out there hurt somewhere?" he asked for what felt like the millionth time. He already knew the answer.

"Then Thomas and the team go back out and retrace their steps, you know that Blaine."

Santana hadn't meant to sound impatient but her own worry and Blaine's constant badgering were starting to grate on her nerves.

Blaine nodded wordlessly and continued pacing. Every minute that passed felt like an hour and he knew that if the sun went down without Kurt coming home yet, the residents of New Lima were going to have to work pretty hard to keep him from venturing out into the wilderness on his own.

* * *

It was nearly six o'clock in the evening when Kurt and Scott came in sight of New Lima, a day later than they were supposed to arrive. Kurt was tired and dirty and ready to be home. He missed Blaine and the girls and he felt like he could sleep for a day straight.

The incident with Scott hadn't left his mind for more than a few seconds since it happened. His guilt was nearly overwhelming and he could tell that Scott felt the same way.

_God this would be so much easier if he were a jackass_, Kurt thought to himself. But no, Scott had to be so damn _likeable_. It didn't matter though, what had happened was a huge mistake and there was no way he was going to let anything like that happen ever again. In fact, he briefly considered talking to Thomas to see if he could be reassigned on future missions just to be sure he was as far away from temptation as possible.

It pained Kurt that he even had to think in those terms. Why couldn't the fact that he was with Blaine simply be enough to keep him from thinking about Scott. Blaine should be enough. But there was something pulling Kurt to Scott that he didn't like. Something that made him feel out of control. And if it was one thing Kurt despised, it was feeling out of control.

Hence, Kurt's attitude towards Scott ever since the disaster, as Kurt began to refer to it in his mind, had been ice cold, to put it mildly. Really, Kurt just ignored him or shot him looks when Scott tried to make conversation. He knew he was being childish, that if he could be in control of his own emotions, he wouldn't have to be such a jerk to Scott. It pained Kurt to see the hurt look on Scott's face every time Kurt would respond to him with a simple, icy one-word answer, but he didn't see any other way to handle it.

"Home sweet home," Scott announced cheerfully, apparently giving Kurt one more chance to be reasonable. Kurt refused. Instead he soldiered on, and as soon as the main entry way came into sight, so did a worried, harried-looking Blaine Anderson. Despite his exhaustion, Kurt was thrilled to see him. When Blaine's eyes finally caught sight of him, he broke into a huge, relieved grin and broke into a run to meet him. Kurt began jogging to meet him halfway.

"You're back!" Blaine exclaimed, launching himself at Kurt with such force that it almost knocked him over. "I was so worried, I thought—"

"Blaine, you are going to worry yourself sick if you do this every time I'm a few hours late," he scolded with a playful smile. "But I'm glad to see you too."

The boys continued to chat, launching themselves into a private world as they held hands and walked back towards the gate.

They didn't notice Scott trailing behind them, respectfully giving them the space they needed. He tried not to think about the fact that the only people waiting for him to come home were his parents. Sure, he was grateful to still have both of them, it was so rare these days, but he was lonely for a companion. He wanted someone to run at him with open arms, someone who cared if he came home in one piece.

Shaking his head to clear the thoughts, he held his chin up as he walked back through the gate. He'd find someone eventually. He just had to remind himself that that someone was not going to be Kurt Hummel.


End file.
